A dog was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies Thursday morning near Fairway Drive and San Jose Avenue in Industry, and it remains unclear what led up to the shooting. Deputies responded to the area around 10 a.m. and encountered the dog before at least one deputy opened fire.
The shooting was confirmed by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Information Bureau sergeant, who told MyNewsLA.com that the dog had been shot by deputies. Video captured at the scene showed the dead animal near a homeless encampment.
Beyond confirming that deputies responded to the intersection and that gunfire followed, the available reporting does not spell out what happened in between. There's no indication yet of how many deputies were on scene, whether the dog approached them, or whether any other force was used before shots were fired.
Other LA County Deputy Shootings of Dogs This Year
Industry is not the only place in Los Angeles County where a deputy-involved dog shooting has made headlines recently. In Sunland, sheriff's deputies shot a dog during a foot pursuit of a theft suspect after the animal attacked one of the deputies, according to ABC7. That incident happened in the 8100 block of Foothill Boulevard, near the Sunland Park Recreation Center, at around 4:30 p.m.
In the Sunland case, a deputy first tried using a Taser on the dog, but the less-lethal option had no effect, and the animal kept attacking. Only then did a deputy open fire, per the station's report. The dog, which the Sheriff's Department said belonged to the theft suspect, was taken to a nearby veterinary hospital in unknown condition.
A separate case in San Bernardino County in May drew outrage from a dog owner after a deputy fatally shot his dog, Daisy, in his own backyard. The deputy had been investigating a stolen car parked in the neighborhood, according to BorderReport. Surveillance video showed the deputy entering Jesus Serna's backyard before shooting Daisy as she approached him barking.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said the deputy discharged his firearm after encountering the homeowner's dog, and that Animal Control later removed Daisy's body along with a second dog found wandering in the street. That department said it was investigating the circumstances of the shooting using body-camera and surveillance footage.
No comparable investigation details have been released for Thursday's shooting in Industry. What led deputies to the area, what prompted the gunfire, and whether the dog had any connection to the nearby encampment all remain open questions.
